Family Farm Festival at Stuart’s Fruit Farm In Somers

SOMERS, NY — The oldest working farm in Westchester County is having a festival to celebrate its recent preservation. From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, Westchester Land Trust and Somers Land Trust will co-host a Family Farm Festival at Stuart’s Fruit Farm in Somers. Admission is free and food will be available for purchase. The rain date is from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9.

This event is in celebration of the recent preservation of Stuart’s Fruit Farm, the oldest working farm in Westchester County, dating back to 1828. In April, Westchester Land Trust completed a conservation easement that extinguishes the development rights on the farm’s 172 acres thereby ensuring the land remains available for agricultural use forever. In the absence of this conservation easement, the land could have been sold for residential development. The trust’s partners included New York State, Westchester County, the Town of Somers, Scenic Hudson Land Trust and Somers Land Trust.

The Family Farm Festival will feature family friendly activities, live music, craft beer and cider, food trucks and more. Festival goers of all ages will enjoy classic games including sack races and corn hole. There will also be hayrides through the orchard and a corn maze that are sure to have the whole family turning at every corner.

Guests are welcome to bring picnic baskets or can choose to purchase tasty bites and regional cider and beer. Local food trucks Waffle Box, King Kone and Sloppie Joes of Yonkers will be on hand serving Belgian waffles, gourmet hot dogs, burgers and sloppy joe sandwiches. Adults can purchase craft beer and Fishkill Farm’s very own Treasury Cider. Make sure to save room for pie made with Stuart’s fruit, ice cream, and fresh lemonade. Farm owner Betsy Stuart will also serve samples of her Brown “Betsy” Apple Crisp, which some say is the best apple crisp in the area.

Visitors can venture into the orchard to pick apples from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. and pay per pound for whatever is picked. More fun-filled activities include raffle drawings, a live animal exhibit and a hands-on interactive T-shirt painting station. The farm bakery will remain open during the Farm Festival so stop in and grab some fresh baked goods.

Photos taken at the Farm Festival can be entered in a raffle for a chance to win one of our incredible giveaways. Simply post pictures of the event on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and use the hashtag #stuartsforever. Entries may also be featured on our website, social media and various promotional materials.

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Photo credit: Courtesy.